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Pan-democrat gets approval of candidacy for Hong Kong district council elections, sparking accusation authorities are censoring leaders at random

South China Morning Post

發布於 2019年10月16日16:10 • Ng Kang-chung kc.ng@scmp.com
  • Vincent Lam, whose candidacy was confirmed on Tuesday, says big names such as Joshua Wong were perhaps being targeted
  • Seemingly inconsistent treatment by returning officers come as nominations for the district council seats are expected to close on Thursday
Tiffany Yuen, whose nomination for the district council elections was validated on Wednesday, says a returning officer cannot have a say on who can get seats in the council. Photo: Felix Wong
Tiffany Yuen, whose nomination for the district council elections was validated on Wednesday, says a returning officer cannot have a say on who can get seats in the council. Photo: Felix Wong

At least one pan-democrat district council hopeful has had his candidacy for November's elections approved despite posting protest slogans, sparking accusations the authorities are using their power to censor candidates arbitrarily.

A former core leader of Demosisto, a political party that advocates self-determination for Hong Kong, also had her candidacy approved, it emerged on Wednesday.

No questions were asked of either about their political stances.

Earlier in the week, other pro-democracy activists received letters from returning officers seeking explanations of their stances, including Joshua Wong Chi-fung, former student leader Tommy Cheung Sau-yin, independent Billy Chan Shiu-yeung and pan-democrat Liu Qing.

Last year, Wong's party colleague, Agnes Chow Ting, was barred from running in a Legislative Council by-election on the grounds that Demosisto advocated self-determination.

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has received a letter from returning officers seeking explanation of his stance. Photo: K.Y. Cheng
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has received a letter from returning officers seeking explanation of his stance. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

The seemingly inconsistent treatment by different returning officers came as nominations for the district council seats were expected to close on Thursday.

Candidates have to obtain a certificate of qualification to run in the elections on November 24.

Vincent Lam, an assistant to opposition lawmaker Claudia Mo Man-ching, had his candidacy for a seat in the Kowloon City district council confirmed on Tuesday.

Why chanting popular protest slogan could sink chances of election hopefuls

On his election platforms, he has included the Chinese characters for the slogan: "Liberate Hong Kong; revolution of our times" " a popular chant among protesters in the anti-government demonstrations over the past four months, which Beijing has characterised as a "colour revolution".

The English translation on Lam's election materials varied slightly.

Lam, 27, who is running under the banner of Democratic Coalition for DC Election, said: "It is a sheer arbitrary exercise of powers by the government.

"Maybe they target big names, like Joshua Wong, and I am a nobody to the returning officer, so he did not bother to ask me."

Tiffany Yuen Ka-wai, 26, also received a notice from the returning officer validating her nomination on Wednesday.

Last year, activist Agnes Chow was barred from running in a Legislative Council by-election. Photo: David Wong
Last year, activist Agnes Chow was barred from running in a Legislative Council by-election. Photo: David Wong

Yuen was a vice-chairman of Demosisto, a political party founded in 2016 by then student activists Wong and Nathan Law Kwun-chung. Yuen resigned in 2018 and had worked as an assistant to opposition lawmaker Au Nok-hin.

As disqualifications pile up, pro-democracy politicians are careful what they call themselves

Yuen would not comment on whether her quitting Demosisto might have helped clear her way to candidacy.

"It is absurd and sad to see the media blow up stories on who can have his or her nomination validated. In a normal society, no election runner should be deprived of the right because of his political views," said Yuen, who is competing for a seat in Southern district.

"Only the voters can have a say on who can get seats in the council, not the returning officer."

A spokesman for the Registration and Electoral Office said it would not comment on individual returning officers' decisions, which were made on their own.

Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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